In front of the closed doors of Ahoy Rotterdam, Lieke Mulder (15) and Lotte van Veelen (14) are shouting: “praise the lord, praise the lord”. They are nervous and want to be at the front. They came from Groningen by bus with their church community. “Shoutout to the city church of Groningen!” says Lieke. It is their fourth time at the EO Youth Day, which Lieke thinks is the best day of the year. “Worshipping with everyone and so many people who want to feel the presence of God, that is just really wonderful.” God means everything to the young Christians. “He helps me when I have a test, when I am sad, but also when things are going well,” says Lotte. They didn’t know that it was the fiftieth edition and it doesn’t matter. Lieke: “It was going to be great anyway.”
The first EO Youth Day was in 1975. A time when secularization in the Netherlands was going very fast. Four thousand young people still gathered in the then Martini Hall in Groningen. The programming at that time mainly consisted of praying together and listening to sermons, the music was provided by Elly and Rikkert on the banjo. “We can no longer get away with that,” says the chairman of the Evangelische Omroep (EO) Arjan Lock. Almost all artists playing in Ahoy Rotterdam on Saturday are of American descent. The ‘worship’ music genre is huge. Audience favorite Elevation Rythm has approximately 4.6 million monthly listeners Spotify and is big on Instagram and TikTok. Lock: “Young people are much more used to events.” Most visitors today are between 12 and 18 years old.
Photo Simon Lenskens
Albert Vrijhof (37) came to Ahoy as a youth elder. This morning he got on the bus with 140 young people from the Reformed Congregational Church in Hierden. According to Vrijthof, the temptations of the world are increasing for young people, things that distract them from pure faith. “I see them getting lonely on those phones, here they really open up again.” ‘Walk with GOD’ is written in large red letters on the T-shirts of Leanne Otte (14) and Daan Schaap (14). They bought the shirt especially for this day. The two jump together to the music and embrace. “I have no shame about this, all these people are my family,” says Leanne. Robin van der Beek (17) wears trousers with crosses and a shirt with ‘Sunday Mass’ on it. He has made himself “extra beautiful” for this day. Especially for the people around him and for himself. Also for God? “No, of course not. I am already beautiful to God, I don’t have to do anything for that.”
At the front of the stage, teenagers sing along to every word at the top of their lungs with their eyes closed. En masse they dance the ‘church clap’ in synchronization. There are also moments of silence. On stage you are asked to tell the person next to you what is going on in your life, what is on your mind. Tears flow, there are group hugs. After the first hour of EO Youth Day, shared love for God swirls in the main hall of Ahoy.
Churches are still emptying
In 1999 the day attracted 50,000 visitors in the Johan Cruijff Arena. That number was never equaled again. Ticket sales dropped and Ahoy, with space for 15,000 people, became the permanent location in 2019. After a few difficult years, Ahoy is packed and sold out this Saturday. A ticket costs twenty euros. “Not at all covering the costs of such a large party with international acts,” says Arjen Lock. The youth day runs on its own money, donations from parents and churches. The price can also be reduced by the enormous influx of volunteers. Arjen Overweg (59) has been working as a grandstand manager for years. With twinkling eyes he looks out over the steaming room of teenagers. “Yes, be careful because they have been crazy about mosh pits in recent years,” says Arjen. He has regularly come to the holiday as a youth counselor from his church community since the year 2000. His daughter Deborah (27) is also around here somewhere as a volunteer. According to Arjen, the audience is a “nice mix of different movements”. Especially from the conservative Protestant corner.
Photos Simon Lenskens
Arjan Lock and Arjen Overweg do not know whether there is really a revival of the Christian faith. Churches are still emptying. A larger location for the youth day is not necessary. Britanny Diaz Valerio and Josh Holiday, band members of main act Elevation Rythm, think that social media has created a broader interest in the Christian faith. Their music focuses specifically on Generation Z. “This generation is really hungry for His presence and ready to worship,” says Diaz Valerio just before they go on stage. It is the first time that the band plays in the Netherlands.
They interact daily with young Christians from all over the world through their TikTok account. “The blood of Jesus still works and young people can access it directly through music and the Internet,” says Holiday. Young people who are not originally familiar with their faith also end up with the worship music genre and Christian influencers through their algorithm. The band also sees that young people are becoming isolated and having a hard time. According to Diaz Valerio, this is not because of social media but because of “the enemy.” Satan. Through their social media accounts they try to counter those evil forces and show a sense of community. Holiday: “We encourage young people to look for connections, with each other, at church, in music.”
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